


The Forest's Voice

by Alette



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Fantasy, Forest Gods, Forests, Hwa Is A Forest God That Is The Entire Plot, M/M, Nature, Siren But Make It Forest, Size Difference, almost forgot, kind of, nature spirits
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:47:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24422257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alette/pseuds/Alette
Summary: The forest calls to Hongjoong, and he is powerless to resist.
Relationships: Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa
Comments: 31
Kudos: 216
Collections: Seongjoong Week 2020





	The Forest's Voice

**Author's Note:**

> For SeongJoong Week 2020, D5: Nature
> 
> I have no idea how to tag this. LIterally none. Welcome to my first fic with non canon tags. Yay
> 
> I also have no idea what is up with the title. Thank you for giving this a chance anyway.

The forest was old.

Trees reached up to the sky like hands in prayer. Their roots ran deep, down into the rock to anchor the massive trunks to the soft earth. The leaves rustled in the wind like whispers of ancient spirits. On the ground moss grew thick, a rich carpet of verdant green that crept up the trunks, friendly, suffocating. The canopy above was dense, allowing only a few rays of sun to pass through, and in the high branches and down below the busy sounds of life could be heard, the sound of insect wings buzzing, creatures moving against leaves, the soft singing of birds.

Hongjoong shivered.

The feeling that crept down his spine was not fear. It was akin to awe, respect for something that, even with his mortal eyes, he could see was far greater than him. Something ancient, immense, possessed of a strength beyond his comprehension.

Alive.

“Hyung, can you help me with these?”

Mingi’s voice reached Hongjoong’s ears from far away. “Yeah,” he called back over his shoulder. “In… in a minute.”

He couldn’t look away from the forest. It was like it was calling to him, promising him everything he had never known he’d desired. A treasure he’d never realized he’d been seeking. 

Home.

“Hyung! Get your ass over here!”

Unwillingly, Hongjoong tore his gaze from the trees. “Coming!” he called out, and then moved to help Mingi and Jongho with the bags. 

He could feel the forest watching him as he left.

“How do people live here?” cried Wooyoung, phone raised over his head. “I can’t get any cell network! I didn’t even know there were places in Korea that didn’t get network!”

“It’s probably because of the forest,” said Jongho. He handed Mingi a hot cup of tea, and then poured out another for Yunho. “Blocks all the signal.”

Hongjoong’s ears pricked at the word. “The forest?” 

“Yeah, it’s super dense, which is why no one around here gets any signal from the cell towers,” said Jongho. “You have to go all the way out to that village we passed on the way here.”

“I don’t like it,” said Mingi with a shudder. “It’s creepy.”

Without thinking Hongjoong looked out at it. In the warmth of the cozy cabin it was almost easy to forget it was out there, looming over them like a sentinel, but every glimpse of the forest through the window tugged at Hongjoong’s chest, until all he could do was stare. 

It was like the trees were calling him. They wanted him. 

“Look at the size of the trees,” said Yunho. “It must be hundreds of years old.” 

“Creepy,” said Wooyoung. 

Hongjoong wrenched his attention back to his friends. Jongho had left the tiny kitchen counter and was now sitting on the rug by Mingi’s feet, sipping his tea. “When did your family buy this cabin?” he asked him. 

Jongho shrugged. “Dunno, it’s always been in the family. I think my great-great-grandfather built it? We don’t really come out here.”

“Have you ever been in there?” asked Hongjoong, voice dropping low. 

“The forest?” Jongho frowned. “Nope. Like I said, the cabin’s usually empty.” 

“We should go in there one day,” said Yunho. “Like an exploration trip.”

“No way,” said Mingi at once. 

“I’m with Mingi,” said Wooyoung. When Yunho started trying to convince him, he waved his arms about and cried, “There could be bears in there! Do you know what bears eat, Yunho? People!”

As the argument continued, Hongjoong felt his attention drift away. Once more, his gaze sought the forest unthinkingly, moving there of its own accord. There was something about the wood, something hidden in the trees that drew Hongjoong’s mind to it, and he couldn’t shake it off. 

“Okay!” bellowed Jongho, loud enough to jolt Hongjoong back to reality and end the petty argument. “If we’re all done talking my ears off, who wants something to eat?” 

All three of the others immediately went up in a chorus of yes, argument forgotten at the prospect of food. Hongjoong laughed, unsurprised, and got up to join his friends for a late afternoon snack.

He couldn’t sleep.

Outside the moon hung full and heavy in the sky. The wind tugged at the leaves. The forest called.

Hongjoong stared at the ceiling of his room. 

He glanced to his side, where Yunho slept peacefully in the other bed. He envied him. Sleep felt like a distant dream. Hongjoong tossed and turned, wishing he could just fall asleep, break free of the soft whispers from the trees outside his window. 

It was a spell of some kind. He could feel the magic of it sinking into him, deep in his bones, running in his veins. Old, deep magic that pulled at his soul. Words murmured into his skin that this was what he wanted, within his reach, hidden in the darkness under the forest canopy. 

He should go see what it is, he told himself. Just to make sure it wasn’t anything dangerous, anything that could harm his friends. To see what it was that made him want to go into that ancient forest. 

Hongjoong had never wanted anything as much as he wanted to see what called to him from the wood.

He glanced one last look at Yunho, just to make sure he was truly asleep, and then he climbed out of bed.

The air outside was crisp and clean, clearing Hongjoong’s lungs out with every breath. He inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of the cold air, the life that grew around him. He started walking towards the forest.

 _Don’t,_ some part of him whispered, but it was so quiet. It took the lightest push to drive it out of mind, the softest rustle of the leaves in the wind, the grass under Hongjoong’s feet. He hadn’t worn shoes, he realized, dressed only in his pyjamas. It didn’t matter. It was too late.

Hongjoong walked into the forest.

The ground underneath was soft but dry. He could feel the moss tickle the soles of his feet. The tree trunks he ran his hands against were rough, prickling against his fingertips. Insects buzzed, around him and in the far darkness, busy in the night. The rustling of the leaves was even louder, and seemed to fill every inch of the air.

It should’ve been pitch black under the canopy, and yet Hongjoong was aware of everything around him. He kept walking.

Whatever wanted him, whatever had drawn him, waited for him ahead, in the deepest part of the forest. Hongjoong didn’t know how he knew this, but it felt as sure as the ground under his feet. He moved towards it like a helpless iron pin caught in the pull of a magnet. Like waves under the moon.

A soft rustle at his feet caught his attention. It was an animal, moving too fast for Hongjoong to see properly, but a squirrel of some sort. It darted past him and ahead, weaving among the trees and as clear as silver in his eyes. It was going the same direction Hongjoong was. And as Hongjoong continued walking, past trees and rocks and creeping vines that tugged at his clothes and feet, he realized it was not alone. The buzzing of the insects was louder the deeper he entered the wood, and other animals ran before him, some over his feet, others flitting from tree to tree. 

Everything was going with him. The entire forest was moving.

Hongjoong let his feet carry him forward, let himself be carried along with the wave of life. Ahead he could see a gap in the dense thicket, and his heart thrummed in anticipation. Hongjoong quickened his steps, pushing aside the branches at his face and chest, clambering over fallen logs and through ditches filled with dead leaves that scratched at his hands and sharp sticks that stabbed his feet and he kept moving, he had to see, he needed to see—

He burst past the last tree and into a clearing.

There was someone there. 

A man, seated cross legged in the center of the carpet of wild grass, around whom the squirrels gathered, the fireflies danced. He shone, soft and pale, like he had swallowed the moon, like moonlight emanated from underneath his skin. His features were strong and handsome, but not unkind, and the eyes he turned upon Hongjoong were solid gold from corner to corner, sunlight in spring. A set of antlers extended out of his dark hair like a crown above his head.

Hongjoong walked towards him without a thought.

It was like walking in a dream. The whispers that had lain under Hongjoong’s skin picked up, louder now. This was where he was supposed to be. 

As he approached the figure, Hongjoong realized just how far he had been. Even seated he was nearly taller than Hongjoong. His rack of antlers stretched wider than Hongjoong’s arm span. He looked at Hongjoong, face gentle, liquid gold swimming in his eyes. His lips parted.

“You heard me.”

The voice was in Hongjoong’s ears, and in his mind. He could almost feel them solid against his fingertips.

“You were calling for me,” said Hongjoong. It seemed so obvious now. 

“I call to all who come near the trees,” said the other. “Very few hear.”

“I did,” said Hongjoong. He had heard the call, he had heard his voice though he hadn’t known it then. He could hear it still, the whisper that murmured against his skin, assuring him he had done the right thing by following it. 

The other tilted his head, antlers moving through the night air. “What is your name?”

“Hongjoong.” He didn’t think twice before answering. 

A smile touched the creature’s lips. “Beautiful.”

Hongjoong felt the word bloom in his chest, warm, lifting. The amber eyes were on him still, like rays of sunlight coming through the leaves, the smile still on pale lips. _Beautiful._

“Who are you?” asked Hongjoong, lost in the gold of his eyes.

The smile spread on his face, and then he parted his lips and spoke. The sound that escaped his lips was musical, alive, like the singing of the birds in the deepest part of the woods, the clear note of a raindrop slipping off a leaf into the puddle below. It was more than a sound, it was an emotion, a feeling. Hongjoong could feel it sinking into his skin even as it was said. 

“My true name is beyond your human tongue,” said the one with the name like magic. “You may call me…” Something in his solid gold eyes shifted. “Seonghwa.” 

“Seonghwa,” repeated Hongjoong. 

In the dark night, a spark showed through the curtain of amber. 

“Hongjoong,” said Seonghwa, and on his lips the name sounded magic. He raised his hand, twice the size of a regular man’s, and held it palm up. 

An invitation. Hongjoong put his hand into Seonghwa’s without a second thought. 

Seonghwa smiled. And then he put his arm around Hongjoong’s waist.

Hongjoong’s breath caught in his chest. Seonghwa wrapped his arm securely around him, close but not tight, and then he rose, taking Hongjoong up with him. Hongjoong’s feet left the ground. He reached out for the smooth expanse of Seonghwa’s chest, splaying his hands on it for support. 

There was not an ounce of fear in him, not even when Seonghwa lifted him up higher. He placed Hongjoong on his shoulder, bearing his weight like it was no more than a fallen leaf. Seonghwa’s shoulder was hardly wide enough for a seat, and instinctively Hongjoong sought a grip and buried his hand in Seonghwa’s hair. He felt Seonghwa shake under him as the most beautiful sound left his lips, light and musical. He was laughing. 

“Sorry,” murmured Hongjoong. 

“Why apologize, my human?” said Seonghwa, voice soft with a smile. “You cannot hurt me.” 

_My human._ The words burrowed deep into Hongjoong, sowing with it seeds of warmth. “Why did you laugh?” he asked, in an effort to keep the sensation from overwhelming him. 

“Because your every action delights me,” said Seonghwa. 

There was a teasing lilt to his words, but a sincerity as well. Hongjoong didn’t know how to respond. But there was no need, for Seonghwa laughed softly again, and then he started walking.

His steps were huge, even for his magnificent height, but smooth, steady. Hongjoong hardly had to hold on as they moved across the clearing, and then once more into the dense thickness of the trees.

Hongjoong braced himself for the branches, now sitting at the right height for them to attack his face, but none came. The trees parted for Seonghwa. They swayed out of his way, moving back only after he had passed. As they traveled through the forest unencumbered Hongjoong couldn’t resist the warm feeling resting in his gut. Here, with Seonghwa, he was safe, free. Home. 

He ran his hand through Seonghwa’s hair, feeling the strands, how smooth and straight they were. Seonghwa’s hair was not much longer on his head than Hongjoong’s, ends falling to where his wide shoulders met his neck. Hongjoong moved a lock aside, revealing a pointed ear like a deer’s, brown and covered in fur. He traced the shell with a finger.

Seonghwa let out a soft sound. “You’re a curious one.”

“Of course I’m curious,” said Hongjoong. “They’re… different.” He gave Seonghwa’s ear a tug.

“Are you scared?”

“Why would I be scared?” Hongjoong tugged again, felt the outside curve. “It’s an ear.”

Seonghwa laughed, musical and ethereal.

The forest was alive around the two of them, humming and busy. Hongjoong looked around and spotted birds flitting around the trees, framing their path, while squirrels and moles and other small creatures ran about the hooves that were Seonghwa’s feet. A cloud of fireflies trailed in their wake like an attending train. All the animals were following them. Following Seonghwa.

“Are you their king?” asked Hongjoong, words slipping out before he could stop them.

“King?” Seonghwa repeated the word, as if curious. “Not in the way humans would use the word. I am their guardian. I watch over this forest and everything in it.”

“They’re following you,” said Hongjoong.

“They are following us,” said Seonghwa. He moved his head, slowly, to look at Hongjoong with eyes of solid gold. “They are interested in you.”

“Me?” Hongjoong was surprised.

“Of course,” said Seonghwa, smiling. “It’s not often their—” and again he said something in a language that was more than words, “—is in the company of a human.”

“Nice to know I’m special,” said Hongjoong, more to himself.

But Seonghwa heard him, and he smiled ever wider.

“Where are we going?” asked Hongjoong. They were deeper in the forest than Hongjoong had imagined he’d go, and he didn’t know how large these woods were. It felt as though they stretched to the ends of the Earth.

“To a special place,” said Seonghwa, turning his head once more to face forward.

He reached up with a hand and rested it on Hongjoong’s hip, steadying him. The light pressure set off sparks on Hongjoong’s skin, underneath, like bubbles rising in his bloodstream. Carefully, hesitantly, he put his free hand over Seonghwa’s.

Seonghwa’s skin was warm to the touch. Hongjoong ran his fingers over his knuckles, feeling the unusual texture of them. There were little spikes over them, like the small thorns that grew on the stems of some flowers. They weren’t sharp enough to hurt, but so unlike what Hongjoong had expected he found he could not pull away from them.

He wasn’t scared. But he knew Seonghwa was unlike anyone and anything Hongjoong had ever known.

The trees before them bent out of the way, and Hongjoong saw that beyond them was another clearing. Large trees, near three times Seonghwa’s height, ringed the small space carpeted with vibrant wild grass. Inside the protective circle grew the most beautiful flowers Hongjoong had ever seen. They were all unknown to him, large and blooming, petals open to the night air. Some grew in bushes, nestled among green leaves; some from stems rooted in the ground; some were scattered in the grass itself, like multicolored stars about Seonghwa’s hooves. Seonghwa walked into the clearing, and as he did Hongjoong saw there was a pool there as well. It had been hidden behind flower bushes but he could see it now. The water was still, perfectly reflecting the moon in the sky.

Seonghwa helped Hongjoong down from his shoulder. The grass underneath was soft under Hongjoong. He shifted on his feet, careful not to crush any of the flowers.

“Do not worry about harming them,” said Seonghwa, gentle smile on his glowing face. “They are mine, so you’re free to do whatever you wish.”

“What is this place?” asked Hongjoong. There was something dreamlike about the air here, like it was not true reality, like Hongjoong had walked into a place that should not exist.

“It is where I stay,” said Seonghwa. “No one can find this place unless I so wish it.”

“And you wanted me to see it,” said Hongjoong. He didn’t know why but the thought of it had his heart rushing with happiness.

“Yes,” said Seonghwa. He offered his hand, palm up, and Hongjoong put his hand in it. Seonghwa covered it with his other. “I want you to stay here too.”

“With you?” asked Hongjoong.

Seonghwa nodded. His eyes reflected Hongjoong’s in gold.

Unthinking, Hongjoong reached up towards Seonghwa’s face. Seonghwa got down on one knee so that his face was near level with Hongjoong’s. His gaze didn’t falter as Hongjoong put his hand over his cheek, stroking his fingertips against his prominent cheekbone, the line of his jaw. He was so beautiful. He was beyond anything Hongjoong had ever seen, and he was here, before him, letting him touch him, watching with an expression Hongjoong couldn’t read.

“Why?” Hongjoong’s voice came out an awed whisper.

In reply, Seonghwa took Hongjoong’s hand in his and moved it to his lips. “Will you stay, my human?” he asked, and Hongjoong could hear him clearly in his mind, even as he felt the words being said against his hand.

There was no question. Hongjoong’s heart and mind had been lost the moment he’d set eyes on Seonghwa.

Hongjoong nodded.

Something glimmered in the liquid amber of Seonghwa’s eyes. He let go of Hongjoong’s hand on his face. He reached out, and Hongjoong’s breath caught as Seonghwa stroked his features with a finger, mirroring Hongjoong’s own actions before. Over his eyebrow, around his eye and down to the crest of his cheek, moving his hand to brush his roughed knuckle over cheek and then across again, resting his fingertip against his lips.

Hongjoong’s lips fell open.

The flash in Seonghwa’s eyes was like the sun breaking free of a thunderstorm. He leaned forward, eyes locked onto Hongjoong’s. Hongjoong closed his eyes just as Seonghwa’s lips met his.

The kiss was unlike anything Hongjoong had ever experienced. Soft, gentle but assured, calm like the shift of the seasons. Seonghwa’s massive hand rested against the side of his face, warm, unmoving. But inside Hongjoong felt something pull at his soul, tug at everything that made him _him_ inside, that made him real and living and human.

He didn’t know how long they stayed like that, until Hongjoong pulled away out of breath as though Seonghwa had stolen it all. And it truly felt like that, that Seonghwa had taken something from Hongjoong, but replaced it with something infinitely more valuable.

Seonghwa’s thumb rubbed Hongjoong’s cheekbone. “Beautiful.”

Hongjoong smiled, and then reached out to do the same to Seonghwa, feeling his sharp features.

They spent hours under the light of the moon. Seonghwa took Hongjoong to the pool, showed him the clear waters and little flowers that grew inside. He fed him water in his cupped hands. Hongjoong sipped the water, shyly at first, relaxing when he saw the fondness on Seonghwa’s face.

Seonghwa plucked flowers from the bushes and wove them into wreaths. Soon a crown of flowers sat on Hongjoong’s head, petals of lush pink and vibrant red, brighter than any gem. Hongjoong tried the same, clumsy fingers working hard to attach white blooms to the vines Seonghwa had called from the earth. Seonghwa waited patiently, large hands resting on Hongjoong’s shoulders as he watched from where he was seated behind him. When Hongjoong was done Seonghwa leaned forward to let him place the crown between his antlers.

The first rays of dawn peeked through the trees as Seonghwa wove flowers into Hongjoong’s hair. Something about the light stirred Hongjoong’s mind, brought memories back to the front of it.

“Seonghwa,” said Hongjoong. “I need to go.”

“Where?” asked Seonghwa. His hands were large, much larger than Hongjoong’s, and yet worked with incredible precision as he attached petals to the intricate braids he had set in his hair.

“I…” The words were difficult to say for some reason, the thought taking a long time to gather in Hongjoong’s mind. “My friends.”

Seonghwa’s hands stilled in Hongjoong’s hair.

“They’ll be worried about me,” said Hongjoong, and yes, he could see them in his mind’s eye now, clear as the morning sun. “I… I left the cabin in the middle of the night, they’ll be wondering where I am. I need to go see them, just to tell them I’m okay.”

There was movement behind and Hongjoong was aware of Seonghwa getting to his feet. He turned and saw the other looking down at him, golden eyes wide. “You retained your human memories,” he said, voice stricken. 

A strange suspicion snaked into Hongjoong’s heart, and the realization of what Seonghwa had attempted to do struck him. “You tried to steal them from me?” he demanded.

“No,” said Seonghwa, but there was a shock on his face, starkly different from the soft smiles Hongjoong had seen there before. “No, you chose to give them to me. I do not understand. You are supposed to be mine.”

Hongjoong jumped up. “I didn’t choose to give anything!” he cried. “I didn’t know what you were doing!” 

“You knew when you came with me,” said Seonghwa. “When you put your hand in mine, you knew your old life was over. You knew you could never return after what you would experience with me.” 

He was right. Hongjoong knew he was right, he had known he would forever be changed by being in Seonghwa’s presence so long, but he had not thought—

He looked up at Seonghwa, into his golden gaze. His expression was indecipherable, a tumult of emotions. It felt like a knife driven into Hongjoong’s heart.

“Seonghwa…” he said softly.

“You must go.” 

The words hit Hongjoong square in the chest. He gasped from the pain of them, like they had been a solid blow. 

“You cannot stay here,” said Seonghwa. “Your humanity roots you to the other. This world is not for you.”

“No,” said Hongjoong. He stepped forward without a thought, seeking Seonghwa. “You can’t—you can’t throw me away. You asked me to stay with you. You said I could.”

“I am sorry,” said Seonghwa, and the gold of his eyes swirled liquid. “I thought I could keep you here with me, but I cannot. You must return.” 

And Hongjoong knew from his voice it was the truth. He could not stay here. This was not a place for humans, not a place human minds should know, and Hongjoong could not stay. Seonghwa had tried to keep him—and the thought was painful, that was how much Hongjoong craved it—but he couldn’t. If Seonghwa, the beautiful creature who could coax shoots from the earth and who the trees bent and bowed to let pass, if Seonghwa couldn’t do it, it couldn’t be done. 

Hongjoong could not stay.

“Can I come back?” he asked, voice small, dreading the answer.

Seonghwa’s expression was deeply, profoundly sad. “Oh, Hongjoong.”

The look on his face was answer enough. Hongjoong reached out for him, feeling like a child that had lost everything they had ever known, and Seonghwa took his hands in his, encompassing them easily. Seonghwa went down to his knees to bring his eyes near level with Hongjoong’s. The wreath of flowers fell from his head.

“I am sorry,” he said once more, voice soft like the leaves in the breeze. “You must return to your world, to your people. Be happy there.”

“How can I just go back, after I’ve seen this?” asked Hongjoong. After he had seen Seonghwa, after he had felt his lips against his. 

“You will lose all memories of me, and all else you experienced tonight,” said Seonghwa.

“No,” said Hongjoong, heart pounding. “No, you can’t do that—”

“It is not my choice,” said Seonghwa, eyes shimmering gold with a sadness Hongjoong could feel echoing in his own chest. “You cannot live having seen both my world and yours. There are some things not even the god of a forest can control.”

Hongjoong swallowed. “I don’t… I don’t wanna lose you.”

Seonghwa held Hongjoong’s face in his hands, touch tender. “You heard my call and answered it, and was with me, if only for a night,” he said. “The forest will remember you.” 

And then Seonghwa leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Hongjoong’s forehead.

Hongjoong woke up under the open sky.

Groaning, he forced himself up. He was in the middle of the forest, he realized, in a patch where only grass grew, no trees. His feet were bare and he was in only his pyjamas. 

He forced himself up. The sun was low in the sky, and that and the birdsong filling the air made Hongjoong guess it was mid-morning. He looked around the clearing, unsure of which direction to go, when he spotted a trail of sorts on one side and on impulse started down it. He barely registered the pink and red flower petals scattered at his feet. 

Less than an hour later and Hongjoong could see the cabin in front of him, Mingi and Wooyoung standing outside. They caught sight of him too and started yelling, causing Yunho and Jongho to burst out of the cabin, and then start running towards the treeline. 

Hongjoong ran to his friends, leaving the forest behind. 

_one year later_

The sky overhead was clear, wispy clouds drifting across pushed by the light breeze. It was sunny and the air was warm. The wind picked up, setting the leaves whispering, murmuring secrets to each other and any that would listen, tempting them close. 

Hongjoong could hear. 

He dropped his car keys. He pulled his wallet out of his pocket and let it fall to the ground. He took out his phone, looked through it one last time, reading the messages he had sent before he had come too close and lost all signal. And then he turned it off and dropped it on the ground, beside his keys and money and all the things he’d once thought important. 

He wouldn’t need them anymore.

Hongjoong walked into the forest.

There was no trail, but it didn’t matter. He knew which way to go. He let his feet take him, let them lead him forward, between trees with rough bark that pricked at his fingers, over fallen logs and through ditches filled with leaves and sharp sticks. He went on and on, forward and forward, deep into the part of the forest no human went to and returned from.

He kept walking until he reached a clearing.

There were no trees here, only wild grass that covered the earth, stretching from end to end. A few wild animals scampered in the grass, and birds chattered to each other from the branches that hung over the edges. The trees that ringed the place were thick, strong, a protective wall against all who were not wanted and did not know better than to turn back. White wildflowers like stars dotted the grass.

And in the centre of it all sat a figure.

Like a man, but too tall, with a rack of antlers extending from out of his dark hair. His skin glowed softly the color of a clear sunrise. His eyes were a sheet of gold. 

Hongjoong staggered forward through the grass. His legs felt weak, ready to collapse under him at any moment, but he could not stop, he could not even think to stop. The tug on his soul pulled him.

“I heard the call,” he said. “You called to me, and I heard. I came.”

The god of the forest looked at him with eyes of molten gold. “You remember.”

“Yes,” said Hongjoong. His heart pounded so wildly he could feel it in his throat. His entire body thrummed with a deep desire he could not name. “I remember you, I remember everything.” He swallowed. “Seonghwa.”

“I do not understand,” said Seonghwa, voice soft, edged with raw emotion. “I do not understand, you were not to remember, you were to return to your world…” 

“I couldn’t forget,” said Hongjoong, taking another step forward. He was only a few feet from Seonghwa now, helplessly drawn to him like a pin to a magnet. “I tried to live in my world, but I can’t, not when I know you’re here. I couldn’t forget you.”

He had, the morning he’d woken up in the forest. But slowly, with every passing hour away from the trees, they came back. Memories of trees bending aside, of a trailing retinue of fireflies, of a pool that reflected the moon like a mirror and flowers that grew lush and perfect. Memories of a figure in the wood, tall, a set of pale antlers against the night sky. Memories of Seonghwa. 

They returned, and they never left. And Hongjoong could no longer be satisfied living among humans.

“You were supposed to,” said Seonghwa. “This is beyond even my understanding.”

“It’s like I said,” said Hongjoong, propping up a smile. “I’m special.” 

Seonghwa looked at him, with his gaze like brilliant amber, swirling and catching the light of the afternoon sun. And then, so slowly, he raised his large hands, palm up.

Hongjoong ran and threw himself into his arms. 

Seonghwa caught him easily. He held Hongjoong to his chest, wrapping his arms around him in a firm embrace. Hongjoong hugged him back tight, pressed his face to his bare, glowing skin. He smelled like the forest, like earth and fresh leaves and blooming flowers. He smelled like life. 

He felt Seonghwa’s arms relax around him, and then he was pulling away to look down at Hongjoong, the gold moving like it was alive in his eyes. “Will you stay with me, my human?” he asked, voice soft like the leaves in the wind. 

Hongjoong raised his hands to Seonghwa’s face. He nodded.

Seonghwa’s eyes flashed brilliant gold, and then he leaned down to kiss Hongjoong. 

**Author's Note:**

> You all get 1 (one) fic with human seonghwa and that's it
> 
> Thank you for reading! I'm on [tumblr](http://seonghwa-cloud.tumblr.com/) and on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/alette_star), and I have a [CuriousCat](https://curiouscat.me/alette_star) too if you want to talk ♡


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